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I downloaded a lot of mediation apps in my search for the one I wanted to feature. And there are a lot of incredible meditation apps; this is by no means the only good one available. But it’s the one I chose for a couple different reasons. Headspace is one of the first apps that became massively popular for meditation, and it hasn’t let the competition surpass it since. The app does a fantastic job of getting you started and immediately launching you into the first meditation. Within three minutes of opening the app, I pressed play and had my first session with the app. At the end, the narrator lets you know he’ll be back tomorrow with another guided meditation. In total, there are three basic meditations that give you three days to see if this app is right for you. Learn more on what it does and why I love it below.
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Headspace (Free; $12.99/month)
What It Does
As I mentioned in the first paragraph, Headspace does a fantastic job of leading you from download straight into meditation. There are ten days of meditations to come, plus the ability to test out one of the meditation sessions available, before the app tries to sell you the membership. This was immediately a welcome difference in comparison to a large number of the other meditation apps I download, many of which wanted me to sign up before really knowing whether or not I liked the app.
Apart from the wonderful onboarding experience, I love the way Headspace is designed and laid out. In the Discover tab, I can find guided meditations for all kinds of different things such as Self-esteem, Productivity, Grief, Pregnancy, Kindness, and much more. At the top, I can also select Singles to choose an individual meditation (guided or unguided) for different situations and feelings. Next is a tab specifically for kids; you can select an age range and choose various meditations including, Calm, Sleep, Kindness, Wake Up, and more. Lastly, you can select the Animations tab at the top. This section is a great addition. It covers some basic information on mediating to start but it also delves into other aspects of life such as Doubts & Difficulties, Right Attitude, Understanding the Mind, and more. The animations are really cute and enjoyable for both kids and adults, and there are some very nice reminders and instructions for a mindful life.
Why We Love It
2018 is a year of improving health for me, and one the intentions I’ve set is to incorporate meditation into my daily routine. Apps such as Headspace make building these habits easier. Of course, I can allow the app to remind me to mediate. But I prefer to simply turn to it throughout the day. For example, I usually experience the peak stress of my day around three in the afternoon; this is also when I’d usually rather take a nap than continue to work on something. However, if I spend ten minutes with a guided meditation via the Headspace app, I come out feeling more refreshed, feeling like my head literally has more space in it, and feeling empowered to continue doing good work the rest of the day.
There are a lot of mediation apps available and so many of them offer fantastic guided meditations. While I appreciated the design and options available in many other meditation apps, I find myself returning to Headspace again and again. It’s an app that both doesn’t take itself too seriously and delivers more value than what it costs. I highly recommend downloading it and going through the free Basics meditations for a week to see if it’s the one for you. Meditation may not seem like an important use of time; but it’s one of the best things you can do for overall well being.
